Aitec 6 LED flashlight

[mahoney]

After reading the "glowing" review of the blue LED version of this flashlight in this forum and tracking down Aitec's website, I decided to purchase the 6 LED white version. Here are my thoughts after about a week. The flashlight appears to be an Aitec model AT1600L and is clearly based on a body style designed as a 2 AA cell incandescent flashlight. It is adapted to use the 3 N cells by means of a plastic sleeve pressed/glued into the aluminium body and perhaps a slightly longer spring. There is a recess below the spring in the endcap for a spare lamp, not necessary or included. The Aitec website describes the flashlight as waterproof and there is an o-ring seal on the endcap, but the lense on mine is loose enough that it rattles if you shake the flashlight so I think water would get in. The switch is a pushbutton near the head. It is covered with a rubber boot and is not recessed much. I do not know how this boot will last given abrasion or abuse. The flashlight is about the same diameter and shape as a 2 AA Mini-maglite, but about 1" longer. It will fit in a Mini-mag holster but pressure in the right spot will press the switch. Fortunately the switch does not close until pressure is released so the light is not on in the holster but the long term effect on the spring in the switch remains to be seen. The longer length hanging out of the holster bottom is more prone to snag stuff too. The light will stand on it's base and point up, but not if you put a ring in the lanyard hole in the endcap. The LEDs are well aligned and the reflector is nicely made and does seem to do something, you can see some of the facets in the light pool at close range. At short working ranges, up to 8-10', light output is about equal to the 2 AA Mini-mag, maybe a little more, but much more even and with a blue center to the central spot. At longer ranges (30'+) the focusing ability of the Mini-mag becomes more of an asset and you can focus a small pool of light on an object and see details you can't with the Aitec. You can use 2 AAA cells in the Aitec. Light output is then about equal to an Arc-AAA but quite a bit bluer. Will I take advantage to the 30 day return policy? Will I keep it? The jury's still out. It's a nicely made light, but the loose lense and switch worry me.

 

[mahoney]

A little further info for anyone who is interested. The Aitec is supplied with 3 "heavy duty" non-alkaline N cells. These were replaced with new Duracell alkaline batteries and the flashlight, along with a 2 AA Mini-Maglite, was taken to a friend with a light meter for a bit of testing. At about 6' the reading in the hotspot of the Aitec was 1.5 Fc or 16.1 lux. The reading for the Mini-Mag focused to the same size hotspot was 3.5 Fc or 37.6 lux. The test was repeated at 6" and the readings were, for the Aitec 44 Fc or 473 lux, and for the Mini-Mag 95 Fc or 1022 lux. Current drain on the batteries is 278 ma for the Mini-Mag and 205 ma for the Aitec.
At close to moderate working ranges of 2-4', it does not look like the Aitec is producing only 1/2 the illumination that the Min-Mag does. I think that this is due to the fact that the light is more evenly distributed in the beam and that it has a higher color temperature. Unfortunately I did not have the ability to test the light output over the entire area of the light beams.